I am proud to present the return of the Christmas Calendar!Back in 2005-2008 this was an annual event in the fanart community and it has now finally returnedto celebrate the days leading to Christmas with all of you. Look for a gift every day and enjoy the holidays.

As many of you are aware, Screencap Paradise is closing their doors this year after being a part of our lives for as long as any of us can really remember. This is a site that contains thousands of beautiful screencaps from shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural and Smallville as well as a handful of different movies. It's been a resource for many fanartists and the goto-site for most of us over the years. It's the place we've counted on to provide us with exactly what we were looking for. It's been a home for many fanartists over the years.

A few years ago Screencap Paradise became a partner site to pretty as a PICTURE, another gallery which is focused more on photoshoots, episode stills and promos. The idea was that what Screencap Paradise didn't have pretty as a PICTURE did, and vice versa. So, as the owner of pretty as a PICTURE I found it only logical to approach Line and Rosely and discuss the possibility of merging Screencap Paradise with pretty as a PICTURE. They have graciously agreed to this and so when Screencap Paradise closes its doors, most likely at the end of April, pretty as a PICTURE will open theirs and continue on the legacy created by Line and Rosely and strive to be what Screencap Paradise has always been - a resource enjoyed by all.

A big Thank You goes out to Rosely, Line and all their contributors over the years. You have done an amazing job for the fanartists and fans of all the shows over the years and I couldn't be more proud to have been a part of the ride.

that's pretty much how you can sum up dana.thedudes.nu. The site has been down since mid-december and I just got word that because of all the troubles with the new server and the continued crashes, I've lost my entire domain. Nothing is left. It's been wiped cleaned and I've lost it all. The old server has already been destroyed and any chance of retrieving information is non-existent.

I'm not sure where to go from here. I didn't have a backup of my own.. or well, I did, until my own computer up and died on me some months ago. So what to do? I've lost everything that Pretty as a PICTURE contained. I've lost all the transcripts (might still have them in email though.. hopefully) and I've lost the ENTIRE content of Chosen Art. My old art is just gone. It's been so long since I backed up that that I have no idea where that backup is even and even if I did know, it still wouldn't hold the art from the past 3 years.

So my desktop computer drew its final breath today. When the motherboard fried in June it took pretty much all of the computer with it in it's demise. That fact was sad... at the moment... but you know, I'm ok. I don't have these yearning issues with no longer having a strong, powerful desktop in my office. It's ok that there is only a small, somewhat slower and a bit old, laptop hanging around on the desk. Buying a new powerful friend is out of the question as I don't have the money for it and probably won't have in a very long time.

This is the first time since I was 14 that I don't have a tower on my floor and the sound of fans as a part of my life. And I'm ok. It's been 15 years of noise and now the quiet is settling in and I'm not sad about that. When this laptop gives up, I don't think I'll even look into replacing this one either. I think I'm finally done.

1. Reply to this post with "UNICORNS", and I will pick five of your icons.2. Make a post (including the meme info) and talk about the icons I chose.3. Other people can then comment to you and make their own posts.4. This will create a never-ending cycle of icon glee.

I answered blue_icy_rose and got these awesome suggestions. It should be noted that a lot of my icons are chosen specifically to represent thoughts and state of mind when I comment and/or post entries. I don't do random icons much, I want them to relate to what I have to say.. But sometimes they do have more to do with the subject (fandom or otherwise) than my feelings.. it's all very confusing it seems *lol* anyways, here the choices are!

This one applies so many times it's almost too funny :) I often find myself confused about things, be it regarding things I post about or when I comment on others posts. Of course I gotta underline the fact that I'm all kinds of confused, wouldn't you? ;)

I've loved these two for years and I see way too little appreciation for them around the net. They have so many awesome moments and they can really get a thought through with just a facial expression (gotta love when Calvin is supposed to get photographed.. poor dad can't catch a break in the different faces his son makes ;)). And when something awesome happens, you just gotta dance - right?! And who better to do that when you can't virtually do it yourself than Calvin and Hobbes! :D

It's a fact!

I've begun appreciating stock-icons a lot more. If I've commented a lot in your journal or if you've kept an eye on my posts, they often feature a stock-icon instead of a fandom one. I guess I'm growing up? *lol* Sometimes they can be so much more connected to what you have to say than a "regular" fandom icon can be. And sometimes you don't really have any specific feeling you want to come across, it's more about the action in itself, this case writing in a journal. This icon is the closest you'll get to seeing me write in an actual journal, with a pen :) Also, it's beautiful, the way you have the scribbles, the rose and the dried and dark small flowers next to it, and end it all with a real pen. Not a regular ballpoint one, but a real one... Makes me want to be able to write in a beautiful style.. sadly I'm unable.. that part never did stuck with me since I grew up with computers. Hate that now! I want to be able to write they did in the past...

Speaks for itself, doesn't it? It can apply to fun posts and sometimes it's just a nod to the fandom and the fun idea with Charlie's Angels.. and them not really being that :D

I finally got my iPad2 this weekend and I'm just as in love with it as I suspected l would be. In fact, this post is written on it :DOne big part that this machine will be used for is books and fanfics. I always wanted a Kindle but then came iPad and I figured it was a better machine as it offers up so many more areas of fun, such as movies, tv, music, web browsing, games and many more things (yes, it's coming with me to the states this summer!). But fact still remains that this machine will be used for a lot of reading (no Bre, I am definitely not abandoning books!).

So what am I getting at? Well, I'd love to get my hands on long, awesome fics. We're talking more than 10, 15, 25 chapters. I just got my hands on Kaye's "What We Cannot Have" (yes, the one I've obsessed over for years ;)) and now I'd love lots more.

Both crossovers and canon are welcome! :D just hit me with your favorites, be they written by you or someone else!